Review WH Unit 1 : Lesson 5 - Interpreting Primary & Secondary

Which of these are primary sources? Remember that primary sources include written documents from that time, visual images, audio and video records, and physical artifacts.

• Interview of parents and grandparents

• Old family photos

• Old family letters

• A book about immigration from the same country and time period

Which sources are primary sources? Choose all that apply.

• An ancient Roman coin depicting an emperor’s face

• A biography of Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), published in 1960

• A manuscript decorated by an 8th-century Irish monk

• An article about the latest discovery of Paleolithic fossils

Which is the most reliable source for the correct date of your birth?

• Your birth certificate

• Your father’s memory of your birth

• A photograph of you as a newborn baby

• A birth announcement in your local newspaper

What trait makes a source a primary source?

• It agrees with most other sources.

• It was created at the time of the events

• It is written by a well-known author.

• It is frequently cited by other sources.

Who would be the most reliable creator of a secondary source about the Roman Emperor Augustus?

• the emperor Augustus himself

• the writer of a movie about Augustus

• a blogger who posts articles about ancient Rome

• a present-day professor of ancient Roman history

 Imagine you are writing a report about the life of Winston Churchill, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II. Should you use mainly primary sources or secondary sources?

• 1. Primary, because primary sources are more reliable.

• 1. Secondary, because secondary sources are more reliable.

• 1. It depends, because either type can be reliable or not.

• Both equally, because it’s hard to tell which is more reliable. 

Which questions are necessary to ask in order to decide whether a source is a primary source?

• 1. Does the author of the source show bias?

• 1. What position does the author take on the topic?

• 1. When and where was the source created?

• How did the author obtain the information?

1. How is a historian’s way of working similar to a lawyer’s way of working?

2. 
   

• Lawyers face judges, and historians are judged by readers.

• They both defend causes whether or not they believe in them.

• Lawyers and historians both hire detectives to find clues.

• They both make arguments based on evidence